Digital Devil: Persona V (Original) 2nd Edition
by Eric T. M
Summary: T.R.U.T.H. are a Canadian spy organization in Vancouver made up of seven teenagers and one Android, each with the ability to use a Persona. Join these skillful spies as they investigate PsykoNet, a digital world where the lies people tell come to life in the form of Shadows, and an evil rival group rises to power, taking control of information. Learn peoples' truths to save them.
1. Pr - What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You

**Date Unverified, Location Unverified, PsykoNet; Time Unverified**

A man and woman stood together in a small, round room. Dozens of glowing screens cast light upon them, yet they were both still cloaked by shadow. The man's silhouette was broad and strong, while the woman's was slender and soft. The two figures were outfitted with what appeared to be visor-style headgear, which didn't appear to have any eye holes. It was as if they were wearing V.R. headsets.

"How goes the operation?" asked the powerful man.

The woman moved some of her hair out of her visored face, and replied, "The developers have been working on a function that allows users to search for and access the Headquarters of specific individuals, using a specialized search system. So far, it's been successful."

"And the issue of Shadows? You know we can't afford the technology necessary to mass-produce P.R. Headsets for all users," the man continued.

"Indeed, Boss, I understand." The woman explained, "As our research has proven, the only effective measure against Shadows is to combat them using a Persona."

"I see…" Boss let out a breathy sigh from deep down in his chest. "Awakening to a Persona isn't something we can streamline…"

"Au contraire, Sir," said the woman, a slightly proud smile crossing her red, glossy lips. "Our team has been working on finding a method of creating… shall we say, fake Personas. If this proves successful, people won't have to face their Shadows in order to awaken to Personas and use PsykoNet safely."

"I'm intrigued…"

"Well," the woman went on, "creating a fake Persona has… well, not proven easy for the team. None of them have Personas of their own- and why would they need one when we've provided them with Headsets- so… none of us have any base to go off of… We have a few options here, though."

"And they are?" inquired Boss.

"Option A is… we would need to perform experiments on your daughter's Persona. It seems dire, yes… but, that's why I thought up Option B. Using our application's new Headquarters searching feature, we can have one of our team members face their Shadow, and awaken to a Persona. Then, we can use their Persona for experiments."

Boss looked on in consideration.

"Ultimately, the decision is yours. Though, I would not recommend foregoing the tests," suggested the assistant. "You were genius enough to manipulate the public perspective such that your Headquarters took form into this highly efficient test facility, Sir. I believe in your ability to make the best decisions for the operation."

"It is indeed a difficult decision…" Boss said with a stressed sigh. "I will consult with my daughter about it. Her Persona possesses unique abilities, after all. Are we really willing to sacrifice her Persona's powers, just for the sake of tests which would result in fake, average Personas?"

"I share that concern, Sir," the woman nodded. "Your daughter's Persona gives her the ability to see things nobody else can see, and it even enables her to change the Persona's form to suit her needs… Fake Personas, while an effective anti-Shadow measure for our users, simply can't compare. If you want my input, my recommendation would be to send one of our unawakened team members in to face their Shadow and awaken a Persona of their own."

"I agree… Give me some time, please. I will speak with her about it myself. As a Persona user herself, she should have a useful perspective on the implications of such tests."

"Yes, Sir."

* * *

**Date Unverified, Location Unverified, PsykoNet; Time Unverified**

The moon looked strange and astonishing in this world… In fact, it was by all means broad daylight in reality. A girl in a black outfit hardly had time to admire it, though, as she crawled down the side of a sky-scraping building. Around her waist, a belt was tied, connected to a wire. In her arms, there was a black briefcase, locked by a glowing high-tech mechanism.

The girl had long, black hair, and wore a scarf high up on her face so that it concealed most of it, making her nigh unidentifiable. She carefully used her legs to support her as she hopped down the side of the building, attached to the grappling hook system she had set up. Her feet were adorned with matte black high-bottom boots, endowed with support to run for a long time.

"Stop that spy! That's my research material!" shouted someone on a higher floor of the glass tower.

"Uh- y-yes, sir!" responded a gruff voice. Many footsteps could be heard running through the halls, trying to make their way down the building as fast as possible.

"Alert the guards at the entrance! Stop that damn spy, at any cost!" the same voice as before demanded.

Meanwhile, the girl with the briefcase remained perfectly calm. She continued to confidently slide down the side of the building, while at the same time trying to figure out how to open the case. It looked like it was locked with a very precise fingerprint scanner… but perhaps there was some way she could get around the system. As she slid down the side of the skyscraper, something appeared behind her. Computer code at first, then a glowing holographic wire frame, it soon became the form of a woman in a dressy trench coat, floating in the air behind the girl.

"Hello, Persona," the girl said with an unseen smile. With her Persona floating behind her, the girl used the Persona's power to project a very particular fingerprint on the tip of her own finger. She pressed it down on the scanner.

"Access granted," a voice confirmed, coming from the scanner.

"Perfect," the spy snarked. "Let's see here…"

Inside the briefcase, there were a few things: a graph, a U.S.B. drive, and several research papers.

"I see…" the girl mumbled, half-nodding. She resealed the briefcase, making sure to deactivate the scanner lock first, just in time for her to reach the bottom of the building. She pulled out her cell phone from the pocket on her belt. "Perfect timing," she chuckled. The screen on her phone glowed a bright lime green- it seemed to be a fairly uniform colour for technology in this world- and displayed a map, a few buttons, and the time. "The exit is close…" the spy confirmed to herself. "Persona, be ready for combat."

She hopped down from the building, clutching the briefcase under her arm. There were already security guards waiting for her at the bottom. However, they were evidently not human… Instead, they had blank faces, with nothing but shadowed pits where their eyes should have been.

"Surrender, spy, or we will have to resort to violence!" one of the security guards shouted, drawing a gun from his hip.

The girl's eyes filled with challenge. "I'll take any of you on, if that's what you wish. Persona!"

* * *

** Aug. 29, Public Transit, Vancouver; Late Afternoon**

It was getting late, Thorne thought, as he gazed out the window of the skytrain. He was beginning to fall asleep, so he hoped that the skytrain would arrive at his station soon. But… he couldn't deny that Vancouver was an astonishing city. The buildings were huge, and striking. He'd never seen an apartment building, of all things, have so many floors. Not to mention, interspersed among the gray towers and concrete, churches and theaters and museums proudly displayed their colours. There were flags on almost every street light, sending so many messages.

He looked down at the screen of his phone in his lap, checking the time. There was a watch on his wrist, but he forgot he was wearing it. It was around 4:30 PM, according to his phone. He leaned his head against the window, trying to not think about how hungry he was.

[Grandfather] We are at the station. We will meet you when you get off the skytrain.

Oh, a message from Thorne's grandfather appeared on his phone screen. He smiled in relief.

[Thorne] Thanks, I think we're close, but… I'm not sure.

He opened up his phone to check what was going on in the world. His finger immediately wandered over to the 'SeeThis' app, as if programmed that way. He raised his phone up to his eye-level so he could take a picture and share it with, well, no one in particular, but rather the internet in general.

He took a happy-looking photo of himself in the lighting of the skytrain window. _First day of my new life in Vancouver! I sure hope this isn't a total bust, lol… _he wrote as the photo's caption.

He pressed send. He'd done it hundreds of times before, but this time was… different. As soon as he pulled his finger back from the screen, a strange pulsing started in his skull. "I know it's tempting…" Some strange, deep voice echoed in his head, "but promise me you will not wear the mask."

Suddenly, everything turned a blur around Thorne. He closed his eyes, trying to make focus, but when he opened them again, nothing was the same as it was before.

* * *

** Aug. 29, Location Unverified; Late Afternoon**

What the hell was going on…? Thorne looked around… Everything was shrouded in darkness, but there was enough light coming from… somewhere, that he could make out certain things. There were two large curtains, and many seats, one of which he was seated in. There were two figures, but absolutely none of their features could be made out in the poor lighting, other than that one of them was seated at a table, and the other was standing, and very, very tall.

The same voice as the one in his head before spoke again, though now it was no longer in his mind. However, he couldn't tell which of the figures was speaking. He should have been intimidated, but he felt strangely unfazed. The voice repeated, "I know it's tempting, but promise me you will not wear the mask offered to you by society." It went further this time, "Only by being true to yourself can you discover your true power. Your world is doomed to be consumed by lies and falsities. It is up to you to preserve the truth, and save your world."

Thorne had no clue what the deep voice was saying, but he also had no idea how to respond, and remained silent.

The voice continued after a moment of silence, "The show is soon to begin, and a spectacle it shall be."

Suddenly, stage lights clapped to life, flickering and brightening to a blinding brightness. For a moment, Thorne could almost make out the figures. He could see that they were on a proscenium stage. However, before his eyes could adjust to the bright lighting, he snapped back to reality without warning.

* * *

**Aug. 29, Public Transit, Vancouver; Early Evening**

"Next stop, Oakridge station," said a voice on the skytrain's intercom. "Arriving momentarily."

Thorne looked up, shaking his head and regaining focus. Oh, that was the station he was meeting his grandparents at! He grabbed his bag from beside him and got ready to stand up. What a strange daydream… He told himself it was a weird daydream, but… somehow, he knew it wasn't.

* * *

Review Question: Are you coming from the original version of this story? If so, what do you think of what's changed about the introduction? If not, what are you excited to learn more about by staying tuned?


	2. Pr - Adjustments

**Aug. 31, Location Unverified, PsykoNet; Afternoon**

The surroundings were an unending expanse of pure blackness. However, the ground under the feet of those who were present seemed lit by a dim, non-existent spotlight. There was a man. He had fluffy hair and round, but not fat, facial features. "Alex, report," a voice spoke through a filter of static.

"I-I'm in…" the man stuttered, legs shaking. "What next?"

"Locate your Shadow, and prepare for combat," instructed the static-filtered voice. "We've given you a sub-machine gun, so remember to use it."

"Y-yes ma'am," the man, Alex, said through the nervous spit filling his mouth.

Alex proceeded forward, clutching the gun he was given tight to his body. He looked around frantically, eyes darting. The horizon of darkness seemed so empty… there were no sounds, no lights… nothing…

"It was a clever plan you devised, my dear assistant." It was undoubtedly Boss's voice. "Searching through our staff to see who has a Headquarters, then sending them in to face their Shadow and Awaken to a Persona."

"I… I'm glad you think that, Boss. I'm flattered by your compliment," stammered Boss's female assistant. "However… I'm worried… we've never had one of our staff enter the PsykoNet without a headset… will he be all right by himself?"

"You worry too much, dear," Boss sighed. "Just bask in the genius of your plan. Once we have someone on our team who can wield a Persona of their own, we can begin to dig deeper into the PsykoWeb."

Suddenly, a light appeared before Alex. It was as if he was looking into a mirror. Except his reflection didn't have a gun, and instead had a large scar down his chest that tore through his white uniform.

"Y-you must b-be my S-Shadow," Alex stuttered, changing his position to make himself look tougher.

"Indeed I am, Alex. Aren't you clever?" the Shadow complimented. "You've done a clever job of hiding your true identity. I owe you great thanks for creating me."

"Yeah… y-you're right," Alex nodded. "You really do owe me thanks." He aimed the gun straight at the Shadow, and put his finger on the trigger.

"Oh," the Shadow sighed. "Is that the sort of 'you're welcome' I get?"

Alex pulled back the trigger of the gun, and it fired rapid rounds right into the Shadow's body, spitting caps back behind him!

The Shadow seemed hardly damaged. "That's a bit rude."

"U-uh… m-ma'am!? The gun isn't working!?" Alex shouted into his earpiece.

"Boss, what are we going to do?" the assistant hissed, turning to her superior.

"Tell him to engage the Shadow," Boss instructed.

"Try engaging your Shadow first," mediated the assistant.

"Y-you're not the real me," Alex timidly said to his Shadow. "I'm the only real me."

"No, Alex, I am you, and you are me. That is the only way in which our coexistence can work," the Shadow spat. Black mist started to consume the Shadow, as the silhouette of the Shadow began to grow morbidly behind the smokey screen.

Alex fired more machine gun rounds into the Shadow's body, but the Shadow's transformation didn't stop.

Before he could even see it coming, a sharp black appendage was ripping through his torso, and took no time to burst out of his back. Alex peered in horror at what had become of his Shadow, as blood spurted up into his mouth, dripping down his chin.

Even under the headset she was wearing, the terror on the assistant's face was as clear as day. "Alex? Alex!?" She slammed her palms down on the control panel before her! "Alex, report!"

Boss leaned forward in his chair, linking his fingers together.

"A-Alex's signal… it's gone… Did we just…" The assistant buried her headset-covered face in her hands, running her fingers through her shiny black hair.

The Boss sighed. "What went wrong?"

"Alex's bullets were completely ineffective…" The assistant was still in great shock.

"We'll need to perform more tests in order to confirm what went wrong," Boss ordered.

* * *

**Aug. 31, Thorne Blackwood's Residence, Vancouver; Afternoon**

"How do you feel about school? You feel ready?" asked Thorne's grandfather.

Thorne finished chewing the food that was in his mouth, and nodded. "I guess I feel fine about it. We'll see when I get there."

"There's a mall not too far away," explained his grandfather. "You might like it. It might do you good to do some school shopping."

"Sure, sounds good. I'd love to go out." Thorne got up from his seat and put the dishes from his lunch into the water-filled sink.

"Don't get lost. You have bus money?"

"Yeah. Thanks, gramps. I'll be back… eventually." With that, Thorne grabbed his backpack and made his way over to the nearest bus stop.

* * *

**Aug. 31, Lavendera Mall, Vancouver; Afternoon**

Thorne was a bit thirsty… Lucky for him, there was a Dollar Star in the mall parking lot. He hopped off the bus, not before saying "thank you" to the bus driver, and made his way over to the Dollar Star.

It looked slightly busy, but there were a couple of tables that he could claim if he was fast enough. First, though, he would need to order a drink. That was why he'd come here, after all.

He walked up to the counter. Despite the full seats, there was no line-up. The barista who took his order was tall and slim. She had hair that was a bit like his own. Her hair was long and straight, though it went from gray to black, the opposite of Thorne's short quiffed hair.

"Hello…" The girl paused for a second, staring, before she shook her head. "What can I get for you?"

"Um… hm… can I get… an iced mochaccino?" Thorne asked.

"Sure thing!" the girl smiled. "Do you have the Dollar Store app?"

"I don't, actually." Thorne rubbed the back of his head.

"If you give me your phone for a moment, I can get that set up for you in the blink of an eye," the girl offered, holding out her palm. Thorne read her nametag. It displayed her first name, which was apparently Snow.

"Snow, huh? That's a cool name," he complimented.

She smiled, "Oh, thank you."

Thorne handed her his phone, and she set up the Dollar Store app on it in only a few seconds.

"Huh, that was fast," he noted.

She handed the phone back after scanning it with the bar code scanner. Her eyes were between green and wood, and their colour shifted. "So, one iced mochaccino. Can I get a name for your order?"

"Uh, Thorne," he responded.

"Wow, Thorne, huh? With an 'e'?" Snow asked.

Thorne nodded.

"That's a mystical-sounding name. Are you some kind of tragic prince or something?" Snow joked.

Thorne chuckled. "Well, ideally not the tragic kind."

"I'll call you when your drink is ready," Snow said with a nod. Thorne proceeded to one of the empty tables and took a seat.

After receiving his drink, Thorne took it with him into the mall. "Lavendera" was right. There was a prominent light purple colour theme to almost the entire mall. The mall was two stories tall, as far as Thorne could see, and there was a tranquil fountain in the very center. There were stores and hallways in a circle around the main area, and a set of stairs leading to the open second floor. Not to mention, there was a chandelier hanging above the fountain that looked like a modern art piece made of cubes of light. The mall seemed rather busy, full of people. Given the timing, it was no surprise to Thorne that people would be trying to shop for the return of the school year while also trying to enjoy their last days of summer freedom.

He looked at a map of the mall as it appeared on a screen attached to a pedestal. The mall had a wide selection of shops, such as a tea shop, a gaming store, a food court, a bakery, a clothing store, and even a jeweler. Unfortunately, he didn't have money or time to check everything out. The immense multitude of people somewhat intimidated him. He chose to peek in a few stores and see what was there, before ordering a bowl of ice cream from the Belle's Sweet Shop outlet near the entrance. He took both of them on the bus home with him. On the ride back, he got a notification on his phone. He looked to see what it was about.

It was a reminder, telling him that **There is a 'New Student Orientation' at Goldhelm Secondary School on Tuesday, Sept. 1****st**** at 10:00 AM. **He considered it… it was probably a good idea for him to attend, given he had his last year of school in a school he'd never attended.


End file.
